编者按:肺癌是全球发病率和死亡率最高的之一,晚期肺癌患者整体5年生存率在20%左右。其中非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)是最常见的病理类型,约占肺癌的85%,70%以上的患者确诊时已处晚期,传统治疗效果不佳。近20年,产业界逐渐发现,不少非小细胞肺癌患者携带特定的变异基因,比如
EGFRALKKRASMETRETBRAF等,对应的靶向治疗药物也应运而生,让不少晚期患者也有望获得肿瘤明显退缩、生存期大幅延长的机会。这些年随着产业界的不懈努力,肺癌靶向疗法领域有越来越多新疗法相继问世,研发投入和管线也在持续增长,为患者带来新的希望。长期以来,药明康德也一直通过为合作伙伴提供“一体化、端到端”的CRDMO赋能服务,助力肺癌疗法等新药的开发,为更多患者点燃生命之光。今天,让我们一起来了解一款RET抑制剂改变晚期肺癌患者生命轨迹的故事。
咳嗽8年查出肺癌,手术加化疗1年后就发生肝、
伊拉娜·斯特龙伯格(Ilana Stromberg)来自美国得克萨斯州,是5个孩子的妈妈。一直以来,她过着健康而快乐的生活,经常参加本地社区活动,还不时和家人去户外运动。在她珍藏的家庭录影里,她曾在金色沙滩上看孩子们追逐嬉戏,在银色雪地上乘着雪橇欢快前行,在山峦环抱的溪谷中聆听流水潺潺,在幽静的林间与家人尽情歌唱……
图片来源:123RF
可天有不测风云,2019年,一纸诊断报告给她的世界罩上了阴霾——经过持续8年的慢性咳嗽后,52岁的她被确诊为II期。
伊拉娜表示,自从44岁时怀上双胞胎女儿,她就开始经常咳嗽,但当时以为只是孕期正常的不适反应。结果生完孩子后,咳嗽并没有消失。后来她又多次去医院检查,都没查出真正的病因,直到这次确诊为肺癌。
确诊后几周内,医生为她进行了手术,切除了20%的右肺,手术很顺利,术后恢复得也很好。但同时,医生在术中发现了2个淋巴结转移,因此建议术后化疗。化疗期间,她一直坚强而乐观。完成化疗后,前3次的复查结果都显示“疾病稳定”。康复期间,她几乎每天都跑步和锻炼,并保持健康饮食。
图片来源:123RF
不幸的是,化疗后1年的复查结果亮起了红灯——癌细胞已经扩散到了肝脏,也就是进入了晚期(转移性)肺癌阶段。她不得不进行肝脏手术,切除了50%-60%的肝脏。
就在她以为终于可以喘口气时,脑部扫描结果又带来雪上加霜的一击——当听到“脑转移”几个字时,伊拉娜一时陷入了暗无天日般的绝望。针对这个孤立的脑转移病灶,医生又为她进行了伽马刀放射治疗。
但此时的伊拉娜显然有些泄气,她在疾病早期就得到了确诊,还进行了及时、积极的治疗,整个抗癌过程都相当努力,命运却一次次将自己推向更深的深渊。
患病后,她有很长一段时间无法去户外活动,院里的花草也因疏于照顾枯萎了。丈夫的事业非常忙碌,只能尽量抽空陪陪她。尽管经常疲劳、时不时犯恶心、多次差点晕倒,但她坚持每天早起,给3个还在上学的孩子准备早餐和要带去学校的午餐便当,再去医院做治疗。孩子们只知道“妈妈病了”,但并不知道有多严重。只有丈夫知道,每晚等孩子们入睡后,伊拉娜会在房间里和丈夫相拥而泣,让压抑已久的情绪得到暂时的释放。
图片来源:123RF
“我听说,像我这种的情况生存率是相当低的。虽然身边的人爱着我,我也爱着他们,但我随时可能离开他们,孤独地面对死亡。我曾想过要见证孩子们的毕业典礼、婚礼,还想过以后可以含饴弄孙……可现在,我甚至不知道自己还能活几个月。下次孩子们上台表演、上球场比赛那天,我还会陪在他们身边吗?以后他们难过时,再也没有谁能给他们妈妈般的温暖抱慰……”
新型靶向药带来转机
正当伊拉娜觉得前路无望时,她的命运迎来了转机——在一位朋友的提议下,她决定去做肺癌的分子分型检测。如果查出携带特殊的突变基因,或许就能用上针对这种突变的靶向药物,而此前报道显示,多款针对突变基因的靶向药都表现出相当惊艳的治疗效果。
万幸的是,这次检查还真有新发现——原来伊拉娜的存在
RET基因重排 。“也就是说,我有机会尝试一种叫做塞普替尼(selpercatinib,商品名:Retevmo)的新药。”
图片来源:123RF
伊拉娜了解到,
RET基因融合是非小细胞肺癌的驱动基因变异类型之一,约发生在1%-2%的非小细胞肺癌患者中,这类患者预后较差,传统治疗模式疗效有限,易发生脑转移,且脑转移后的生存期仅为3-6个月。RET基因变异主要包括RET融合与RET激活性点突变,其中RET融合更常见于非小细胞肺癌和甲状腺乳头状癌,而后者主要发生于甲状腺髓样癌。这类变异会导致 RET 信号通路异常激活、促进癌细胞不受控制地增殖和生长。
而塞普替尼作为高选择性RET激酶抑制剂,能精准抑制RET这一蛋白激酶的活性、帮助阻止癌细胞生长,就像掐断了给癌细胞发射“催生信号”的“天线”。
那时是2020年,恰逢塞普替尼刚获美国FDA上市不久,当时首次获批的适应症包括2类:
RET基因融合阳性的局部晚期或转移性非小细胞肺癌成人患者;
需要系统性治疗的晚期或转移性
RET突变型甲状腺髓样癌成人及12岁以上儿童患者,以及需要系统性治疗且放射性碘难治(如果放射性碘适用)的晚期或转移性RET融合阳性甲状腺癌成人及12岁以上儿童患者。
服药后,伊拉娜感觉病情的变化可以用“奇迹”来形容——这款新药产生了很明显的疗效,甚至对脑部转移病变也有效果。要知道,肺癌脑转移是晚期肺癌患者中很常见的转移瘤,而且很难用传统方法治疗。用药1年后,外科医生告诉她,多亏这款新药让肿瘤缩小,才让她有机会再次进行手术,后续也有了更多治疗选择。
如今,她恢复了更高质量的生活,得以继续享受久违的大自然的美好,享受与家人、朋友在一起的时光。
图片来源:123RF
“以前,我总觉得‘一切都会好起来’只是句安慰人的空话。现在我才发现,‘一切真的会好起来’。这段旅程中每前进一步,我都能看到治愈的希望,这真是太神奇了。”伊拉娜感慨道,“感谢幸运的眷顾,让我查出了自己是
RET基因变异阳性,而且有药可治。希望更多病友能了解基因检测的重要性,也希望他们知道,世界上会有像塞普替尼这类靶向药的存在,为我们带来更多生存希望。”
让60%-80%患者肿瘤缩小、超半数患者活过5年的新药
据研发公司官网介绍,塞普替尼是首个被批准专门用于治疗携带RET基因变异的癌症患者的精准疗法。2022年,美国FDA又加速批准了塞普替尼的扩展适应症,不局限于特定癌症种类,可以广泛用于接受前期系统性治疗后疾病进展或没有其它满意的替代治疗选择、且肿瘤存在
RET基因融合的局部晚期或转移性实体瘤患者。
2024年10月,中国患者也迎来了好消息——中国国家药监局(NMPA)批准塞普替尼(商品名:睿妥)用于治疗
RET融合阳性的局部晚期或转移性非小细胞肺癌成人患者,同时获批的还有RET基因变异的甲状腺癌相关适应症。
支持其在美国和中国上市的关键临床试验代号为“LIBRETTO-001”,在2024年欧洲肺癌大会(ELCC)上公布了最终分析结果:在247例之前接受过铂类药物化疗的
RET融合阳性晚期非小细胞肺癌患者中,61.5%的患者获得了客观缓解(即肿瘤明显缩小),中位无进展生存期为26.2个月,中位总生存期达47.6个月;69例初治患者中,获得客观缓解的患者比例更是高达82.6%,中位无进展生存期为22个月,中位总生存期尚未达到,当时已有超半数患者(52.3%)实现了超过5年的长期生存。
此外,另一项代号为“LIBRETTO-431”的临床试验显示,在261例RET融合阳性晚期非小细胞肺癌初治患者的一线治疗中,相比化疗联合免疫治疗,塞普替尼让患者的中位无进展生存期实现了翻倍(24.8个月 vs 11.2个月),疾病进展或死亡风险显著降低53.5%。这意味着,超半数初治患者能获得2年以上病情稳定的高质量生存。而且作为口服药物,它的使用比需要打针输液的抗癌药更加便捷,大大提升了患者的生活质量。
图片来源:123RF
产业界对塞普替尼的探索仍在继续,期望进一步扩大适应症、造福更多患者。由于
RET致癌基因变异发生在约2%的癌症类型中,尤其是肺癌、甲状腺髓样癌、甲状腺癌、直肠癌、乳腺癌、胰腺癌等,它已成为了“不限癌种”疗法的重要靶点之一。目前有多项临床试验正在进行中,旨在探索塞普替尼治疗RET变异的复发性非小细胞肺癌、淋巴瘤、中枢神经系统肿瘤以及术前治疗RET变异的甲状腺癌等疾病的安全性和有效性。
近年在非小细胞肺癌靶向治疗领域,不止RET这一个靶点取得了重大突破,其他靶点如EGFR、ALK、KRAS G12C、MET等也诞生了相当多的创新药物。每一款创新药物的背后,都是无数科学家锲而不舍的努力。过去20多年中,美国FDA共批准了几十款治疗非小细胞肺癌的靶向疗法,该领域目前还有900多款在研新药正处于不同的临床研究阶段,涵盖的靶点多达几十种,有望造福更多罹患不同突变的病患。
长期以来,药明康德都在支持全球合作伙伴从药物研究(R)、开发(D)到商业化生产(M)各个阶段的需求,通过独特的一体化、端到端CRDMO模式,助力这类突破性疗法加速研发进程、早日惠及患者。
在早期研发阶段,药明康德可助力肺癌靶向药物从药物发现、CMC及制剂、药理药效、药代毒理、IND申请到获得临床试验批件的全过程推进。例如,针对脑转移,药明康德生物学业务平台已建立多种肺癌脑转移动物模型,包括基于颈内动脉注射的模型,可更真实地模拟肿瘤细胞穿越血脑屏障的生物学过程,为药物脑部疗效评价提供坚实基础。
在后续开发阶段,药明康德建立了全面的能力,构建起了从科学探索到临床转化的加速路径,显著降低了合作伙伴的开发周期,提高了研发效率。例如,药明康德测试业务平台可为合作伙伴提供全面、专业、系统的生物分析解决方案,助力合作伙伴的药物成功申报IND、NDA和BLA。该平台还能为合作伙伴的药品提供全方位的临床研究服务,涵盖生物等效性(BE)/1期至4期的临床试验及真实世界研究,助力新药通过核查上市。
相信未来,我们会见证更多好药新药的诞生。在新药研发的征途上,药明康德也将一如既往陪伴合作伙伴们前行,见证更多突破性疗法的诞生,为更多患者点亮生的希望。
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Lung cancer remains one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide, particularly in its advanced stages. However, the emergence of targeted therapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has reshaped the treatment landscape, offering renewed hope to patients with specific mutations. Behind these breakthroughs is the tireless work of scientists, clinicians, and global partners. WuXi AppTec, through its fully integrated CRDMO (Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization) model, is playing a critical role in accelerating the development of next-generation targeted therapies. By supporting partners from early discovery through to clinical development and regulatory submission, WuXi AppTec is helping to bring life-changing treatments to patients worldwide—faster and more efficiently.
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Lung cancer continues to rank among the most prevalent and fatal cancers globally, with an alarming five-year survival rate of just 20% for advanced-stage patients. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and poses unique treatment challenges due to its typically late-stage diagnosis. Alarmingly, over 70% of NSCLC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, where conventional therapies like chemotherapy and radiotherapy often fall short in efficacy and tolerability.
A particularly daunting complication in advanced NSCLC is brain metastasis, which is notoriously difficult to treat. Traditional therapeutic approaches often fail to cross the blood-brain barrier or effectively target intracranial lesions, leading to limited treatment options and poor prognosis. This underscores the urgent need for therapies with better CNS penetration and greater target specificity.
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参考资料(可上下滑动查看)
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